How to succeed in the U.S. in Business or University
If you’re a foreign national working in the U.S. or a foreign student enrolled in a degree program here, there are two critical points to remember if you want to be successful. Especially if you have any plans to stay here long term and really make it.
- Improve your English. This seems obvious but it’s often overlooked, especially by students and foreign professionals who think they’ve got enough to get by or they can communicate. If you’re an advanced speaker, you might still be making small mistakes which lower the overall quality of your speech. Or your listening skill isn’t as good as it should be. There are always new vocabulary words to learn to improve your ability to express yourself.
- Get to know the culture. You’ve probably seen TV shows and movies. Maybe you’ve got some American friends, or you’ve been in the U.S. for a while and feel you’re starting to get it. However, particularly if you’re from Asia, there are so many significant cultural differences and you are probably not aware of how this is affecting your behavior and how people respond to you.
These culture differences are especially important in work environments here in the U.S.. If you’re following Asian company culture on any level, you might be losing out in the area of compensation, salary, quarterly reviews, promotions, any number of things. Also, if you still spend the majority of time with people from your culture, speaking your language, and watching TV shows from your country, it’s true that this helps with culture shock, but it’s hurting your ability to adjust and succeed in the U.S..
For more tips and guidance on how to improve your language, academic, business or cultural skills, contact a qualified tutor or consultant.
